We're safe and sound in the wonderfulcity of Kuching in the state of Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo. Kuchingis a wonderful amalgamation of many worlds wrapped in rivers andcradled between the jungle and the ocean. We chose this area to useas our hub solely for it's geographic accessibility and it seems wechose wisely. We truly love it here.

Our flights were uneventful (the bestkind) and after little sleep in the days leading up to our departure,we were able to sleep almost the entire way

. After short stops inTaipei, Taiwan and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (The coolest airport on theplanet) we flew blind through heavy rain clouds, bouncing down on therunway and collected our bags without event nearly thirty hourslater. We paid a nominal fee for a flat rate taxi ticket at a counterjust before leaving the airport. We presented this ticket to one ofmany official cabs neatly lined up outside the airport and off wewent. No hassle, no hustle, and no wait. First impressions arelasting impressions and our introduction to the island has set thetone for this trip to date. Everyone has been friendly andaccommodating at every turn.

We've been relaxing at the SinggahsanaLodge (say that ten time real fast), catching up on our sleep,sampling the local delicacies (real Chinese, Malay, and Indian),walking everywhere we can, and attempting to pick up a few words ofMalay and Indonesian along the way

. Without a doubt this place is themost culturally and ethnically diverse place we have ever visited.The main land Malaysians are ethnically similar to the Kmer insoutheast Asia, but here in Kuching the native Malaysians are mixedin with Chinese, Indians, Indonesians, as well as several indigenoustribes. We have within view of our hotel both Sheik and Taoisttemples and within a few blocks a Catholic church and a large Mosque.Despite all of these people, speaking different languages, worshipingdifferent gods, living and working on top of one another, ebbing andflowing with their daily lives, there is not even a hint ofdisagreement or tension between them. This is truly a communalculture.

The majority religion here is Islam andthis is unmistakable as most women wear a hijab or head covering andyou can here the morning and evening prayer songs echoing from theriver banks

. The Islam here is not the Islam we have come to know.There is no anger, no violence, no burning of effigies, no hate -only love for god and for fellow man. It is these Muslims that musthave given rise to the Bahai. The merchants, hotel and restaurantowners, and people in the streets are as kind, gentle, and respectfulas any peoples we have come across anywhere. We have mixed andmingled in the crowded streets both day and night and have notexperienced or even witnessed a single unpleasant interaction. Wefeel as safe and welcome here as we did in British Columbia. Thepeople we have met are truly happy to meet us and eager to practicetheir English. What we hear most is "Welcome" and "Wehope you enjoy our country". We swear the free opium and rosecolored glasses we received from the Malaysian Department of Tourismhave not influenced our opinions

Of course all this good cheer maychange tomorrow as we plan to travel to an orangutan sanctuary wherewe will get up close and personal with our primate cousins. Theorangutans have a reputation for slinging their own feces at eachother as well as any gawking bipeds. The day after we plan to befurther assaulted by mosquitoes and sand flies as we take a 3-4 dayexcursion through Bako National Park. Most people that visit the parksimply go for a day trip or overnight at the ranger station exploringonly a few miles along one of the many trails that lead out towardthe sea. Since we rarely take the path most traveled, we plan to hikemost of the available trails over the course of a few days, campingon deserted beaches as we go, and practicing our Tarzan and Janeroutine in the jungle along the way. We will write again when wereturn to the Singgahsana Lodge on Sunday (Saturday on your side ofthe planet). We love you all and think of you often. Thank you againfor all the love and support that makes an adventure like thispossible.

Brooke & Terrainaka "Broken Train"

"A good traveler has no fixed planand is not intent on arriving."Lao Tzu